How Obama plans to save the Senate, and more must-reads for Wednesday

Politico reports President Barack Obama has a plan to save the Senate’s Democrat majority. The idea is to sell a populist message, try to make Obamacare work better and raise a lot of money. The president and the 55-member Senate Democrat caucus will meet Wednesday at the White House, the first such meeting since October.

House Republicans, meanwhile, are increasingly confident the economy will be a winning issue for their party in this year’s midterm elections, the Hill writes. The Hill says: “Republicans believe they can exploit the underlying weakness of the job market and argue voters should expect a better economic recovery than they are seeing under President Obama’s watch.”

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said last week he isn’t a bully. His constituents largely agree, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday morning. By 54% to 40%, Garden State voters say he’s more a leader than a bully, and 51% say he’s honest and trustworthy. The poll, taken after Christie’s apology for the George Washington Bridge scandal, shows one of his lowest “bully” scores since the university first asked the question in June 2010.

Lawmakers are threatening the Transportation Security Administration with privatizing more airport screening, USA Today reports. Members of a House panel want improved treatment of travelers. Rep. John Mica, a Florida Republican, said he plans legislation “one way or the other” to privatize all federal screeners within two years.

The New York Times reports the National Security Agency has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers around the world that allows the U.S. to conduct surveillance on those machines, and can also create a digital highway for launching cyber attacks. The Times said there is no evidence that the N.S.A. has implanted its software or used its radio frequency technology inside the U.S.